1. Technical Field
One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a connection terminal.
2. Background Art
Examples of a connection terminal used in an electrical component of a vehicle include a box-type female terminal (see JP-A-2000-243498). According to the box-type female terminal (hereinafter, simply referred to as a “connection terminal”) 501, an elastic tongue piece 503 which configures a terminal connecting portion and a circumferential wall 505 of a box type which surrounds the circumference of the elastic tongue piece 503 are integrally formed by performing a punching process and a folding process on a single metal plate as shown in FIG. 8. The elastic tongue piece 503 is formed by being folded toward the inside of the circumferential wall from the side of one opening end (upper end) of the circumferential wall 505 with the box shape so as to have a free end in the vicinity of the other opening end (lower end). The connection terminal 501 is used as a relay terminal for connecting male terminals such that a first male terminal 509 is inserted between the elastic tongue piece 503 and a front wall 507 of the circumferential wall 505 in the direction of the arrow P and a second male terminal 513 is inserted between the elastic tongue piece 503 and a back wall 511 of the circumferential wall 505 in the direction of the arrow Q.
However, the terminal connecting portion of the connection terminal 501 with such a configuration is configured of a single metal plate, and therefore, there is a coupling portion 515 between edges of the metal plate in a part of the circumferential wall 505 in the circumferential direction, and the circumferential wall 505 discontinuously extends at the coupling portion 515. For this reason, the strength of the circumferential wall 505 is low, and when the male terminal 509 and the male terminal 513 are inserted thereinto and the male terminal 509 and the male terminal 513 are twisted, in particular, there is a possibility in that the connection terminal 501 is deformed (opened) in a direction in which the coupling portion 515 of the circumferential wall 505 is opened and original contact pressure cannot be held.
Thus, according to the connection terminal 501, locking projections 517 each of which has a tip end which is wider than a root thereof are formed at an edge of the front wall 507 which configures the coupling portion 515 of the circumferential wall 505, and widened notch portions 521 each of which is formed to be fitted into the locking projection 517 at an edge of a side wall 519. With such a configuration, the locking projection 517 is fitted into the notch portion 521, and deformation of the circumferential wall 505 is prevented.
Patent document 1 is JP-A-2000-243498.